By Phil Cooper
Since their formation in 2009, French black metal outfit Hecate have been steadily earning themselves a widespread fanbase through touring and record releases. Their journeys have taken them as far afield as South America and Japan both supporting larger acts and headlining their own shows. ‘Ode au désert suspendu’ represents the fifth studio release for the band and sees them harnessing further their aggressive yet melodic approach to black metal in the form of eight tracks.
Right from the opening of ‘Fragment d’ether’ there is an atmospheric sound scape established that lasts throughout the album. A typical genre defining motif yet Hecate employ it very well in order to unify the music on offer. Initially the track opens with layered clean guitars providing an almost gentle lull into the album introduction before the band fully kicks in. When it does the listener is presented with a well-defined wall of sound. A unified blast of aggression that serves as introduction proper for Hecate. It’s a punchy opener layering out the stylistic elements of the band and their combined musicianship. ‘Oracle Atone’ continues with the type of dynamic changes that were employed in the first track. As the track is of nearly twice the length as the previous one, there is more scope for the band to open up. Dutifully they do. It’s a track without a dull moment as they weave in texture changes, tempo changes and more prominent melody leads all backed up by the crushing rhythm section and blast beats. There’s a lot going on and it takes a couple of run throughs to appreciate the layering and song-writing that’s on offer. It’s absolutely worth it though and it represents a stand-out moment on the album.
Clearly, Hecate are a band that like to stretch their chosen genre boundaries and with a freedom of long track lengths (only the opener and closing tracks are less than six minutes), they’re keen to showcase what they and their music is all about. ‘Qu’une main strie la nuit’ has an almost jazz like fusion to it with the phrasing and tempo changes, it also employs an extended breakdown section which shifts the feel of the track into the realms of experimental while keeping it rooted within the realms of black metal. Whereas tracks like, ‘Sous l’arche diamantine’ and ‘Et je panserai l’aube’ power ahead with a more traditional black metal sound. All of the main stylistic elements are in play; however, the delivery is also matched with a well-placed use of reverb giving certainly the latter track a wide expansive feel as the melody lines lead forward. The former track is heavily driven by the percussive aspect of Hecate with the vocals matching the punishing, aggressive attack. The title track closes out the album and is a layered strings piece of an almost classical nature. Often black metal bands will use this type of track as an introductory piece to build the atmosphere, however, used in this circumstance it provides a sense of calming closure after the sonic maelstrom of the previous seven tracks.
There’s no doubt that Hecate are a band that have now got themselves established stylistically and their musicianship has been honed to a great level in order to execute their chosen musical style. However, this latest release represents a progressive showcase for the band as they continue to show why there are highly regarded in the black metal scene. It’s also a great introduction for anyone looking to get into the more melodic side of black metal.
- ‘Ode au désert suspendu’ is released on 27 March. You can get your copy HERE.
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